Blessings Flow From Chicago Blackhawks Victory

CHICAGO, June 17, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The leaders of the home Catholic dioceses for the Chicago Blackhawks and the Tampa Bay Lightning have decided that charity and generosity should be the final result of their wager – so that the poor in both cities might win.

Archbishop Blase J. Cupich had promised enough Chicago deep dish pizzas to feed the 300 guests of Pinellas Hope, a shelter for homeless people in Clearwater, Florida, if the Blackhawks lost. Bishop Robert N. Lynch had answered the challenge by offering to ship cases of fruit to St. Leo's Residence for Veterans, a Catholic Charities ministry in Chicago, if the Lightning were defeated.

"All of Chicago is offering a prayer of gratitude today," said Archbishop Cupich. "The city is celebrating and we want to include our friends in Florida in that celebration."

Chicago deep dish pizzas and Florida fruit will be delivered to both Pinellas Hope in Clearwater, Florida, and to St. Leo's Residence for Veterans in Chicago's Auburn Gresham neighborhood.

"We are humble in defeat but since we can't send our winning weather to Chicago, we hope the veterans at St. Leo's enjoy the next best thing, our Florida fruit," said Bishop Lynch. "We appreciate the wonderful pizzas and, remember, there is always next year."

The pizzas and their transportation are being donated by Lou Malnati's Pizzeria.

Bishop Robert N. Lynch is the head of the Diocese of St. Petersburg which includes five counties on the Gulf coast of Florida. The Catholic population of the diocese is nearly 400,000 and the principal cities are Tampa, St. Petersburg and Clearwater.

Pinellas Hope, a ministry of Catholic Charities, is a temporary emergency shelter in Clearwater. Since 2007, it has assisted more than 1,800 individuals. For more information see: www.pinellashope.org.

Archbishop Blase J. Cupich is the head of the Archdiocese of Chicago, the third largest archdiocese in the U.S. with more than 2.3 million Catholics in Cook and Lake Counties.

St. Leo's Residence, located in Chicago's Auburn Gresham neighborhood, is an example of Catholic Charities' dream to keep veterans safe, off the streets and treated with dignity. For more information see: www.catholiccharities.net.  

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SOURCE Archdiocese of Chicago